Closure for a container



CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER Filed Aug. 7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.3

INVENTOR LOUIS V. SCHIAVO July 30, 968 L. v. SCHIAVO 3,334,830

I CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER Filed Aug. 7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 amine-mum) INVENTOR LOUIS V. SCHIAVO are sorely needed.

United States Patent 3,394,830 CLOSURE FOR A CONTAINER. Louis V. Schiavo, Drexel Hill, Pa. (1020 The Fidelity Bldg., Philadelphia, Pa. 19109) Filed Aug. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 658,848 1 Claim. (Cl. 215-9) 'ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the invention This invention relates generally to closures for containers, and particularly to a unitary safety device for capping the opening in the externally threaded neck of a container.

(2) Description of the prior art It is conventional to provide a container, for example, a bottle, with a cap which threads onto the neck of the bottle to close the opening therein. Such a cap may be removed from the bottle by a young child without much difficulty, in consequence of which, when the bottle contains a dangerous substance, for exam le, pills or a liquid medicine, to which children should not have access, the bottle must be locked up or otherwise placed out of reach. When adults fail to take these reasonable precautions, the lives of young children are endangered, but even in spite of such precautions containers of dangerous substances have a way of falling into the hands of young children. It is at this point that positive safet measures SUMMARY "a safety or outer cap which normally may be turned freely about the primary cap without turning the same.

Means is provided for locking the safety cap to the primary cap so that the primary cap will turn in response to turning of the safety cap, which means may be conveniently operated by an adult, but not by a young child.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal section through an assembly showing the parts of the device in their basic condition;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the assembly shown in FIGURE 1, showing means operable for locking the primary and safety caps together;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of the unit shown in FIG- URE 4, part being broken away to expose details of construction;

FIGURES 6 and 7 are longitudinal sections respectively on lines VI-VI and VII-VII in FIGURE 5;

FIGURES 8 and 9 are fragmentary views indicated resspecticillely by lines VIIIVIII and lX-IX in FIGURE FIGURES 10 and 11 are fragmentary views indicated respectively by lines X-X and XIXI in FIGURE 7.

-The following description is directed to the specific forms of the invention illustrated in the drawings. It is not addressed to the scope of the invention, which may be practiced in a greater variety of forms.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 1-3, the closure generally designated 10, constructed in accordance with the invention consists of a primary or inner cap 12 mounting a safety or outer cap 14, both of which may be molded or otherwise made of a suitable plastic material.

The primary cap 12 has a vertically extending hollow cylindrical side wall 16 and an integral cross-axiall extending wall 18 closing the top of the cylindrical side wall. Integral with the cross-axially extending wall 18 are a pair of laterally spaced diametrically extending abutments 20 each rectangular in transverse section. Extending longitudinally in the outer surface of the cylindrical side Wall 16 is a groove 22, and spiraling about the inner surface of the hollow cylindrical side wall is a groove 24.

The safety cap 14 has a vertically extending hollow cylindrical side wall 26 and an integral cross-axially extending wall, generally designated 28, closing the top of the cylindrical side wall. The cross-axially extending wall 28 includes a hollow cylindrical wall area 30 interconnecting a central Wall area 32 with a peripherally extending wall area providing a circumferentiadly extending shoulder 34. Adjacent the cylindrical wall area 30 is a detent 36 integral with and depending from the central wall area 32. Integral with and underlying the central wall area 32 are a pair of laterally spaced diametrically extending reinforcing ribs 38 each rectangular in transverse section. The lower end portion of the cylindrical side wall 26 is thickened, as at 40, to provide a circumferentially extending shoulder 42 on. the inner side thereof.

In the assembly of the safety cap 14 with the primary cap 1'2, the safety cap 14 is forced over the primary cap 12 until diametically opposite portions of the shoulder 34 seat respectively upon opposite end portions of the abutments 20, whereupon the thickened lower end portion 40 of the hollow cylindrical side Wall 26 snaps under the lower extremity of the hollow cylindrical side wall 16, the primary cap 12 being thereby fixed axially relative to the safety cap 14, between the shoulders 34 and 42. While fixed axially relative to each other, the primary and safety caps may be turned freely relative to each other about the longitudinal axis of the unit, the reinforcing ribs 38 and the detent 36 clearing the tops of the abutments 20.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 6 and 7, it will be seen that the unitary device v10 is used to close a bottle B having a neck N which is provided with a thread T. If desired, the primary cap 12 may be provided with a seal S made of cork or any other suitable material. Provision must be made to facilitate threading the device 10 onto the neck N and removing the same from the neck N. To this end one or more of the means now to be described may be provided.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 47, the central wall area 32 may be provided with an elongated slot 44 parallel to, and registering with the space between, the reinforcing ribs 38. In this event, the safety cap 14 is turned until the space between the reinforcing ribs 38 registers with that between the abutments 20. Then the primary and safety caps are locked together by inserting a coin C through the slot 44 and down between the min forcing ribs 38 and between the abutments 20, whereupon the caps 12 and 14 will turn as a unit in response to turning the coin C.

Still referring particularly to FIGURES 4-7, the central wall area 32 may be partially separated from the hollow cylindrical wall area 30 by an arcuate cut 46 thereby to form a tongue 48. In this event, the tongue 48 is depressed with the thumb or a finger thereby to lower the detent 36, as shown in phantom in FIGURE 7. Then the safety cap is turned relative to the primary cap until the detent strikes the side of an abutment 20. Further turning of the safety cap in the same direction results also in turning of the primary cap. When released, the tongue 48 and the detent 36 spring back to their initial positions.

Now referring particularly to FIGURES 4, 6 and 9, the cylindrical side wall 26 may be provided with an opening 52. In this event, the safety cap 14 is turned until the opening 52 registers with the space between the abutments 20. Then the primary and safety caps are locked together by inserting a pin P into the opening and between the abutments 20, whereupon the caps 12 and 14 will turn as a unit in response to turning of the safety cap. The pin is inserted when it is desired to open the bottle and is removed after the bottle is closed again.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 4, 5, 6 and 8, the safety cap 14 may be provided with an opening 54 extending across the shoulder 34 and down the side of the hollow cylindrical side wall 26. In this event, the safety cap is turned until the opening 54 registers with the space between the abutments 20, whereupon the thumbnail, designated A, is inserted through the opening 54 and into the space between the abutments to lock the caps together, The caps may now be turned together as a unit, either to open the bottle or close it.

Refer-ring now particularly to FIGURES 4, 7 and 10, the hollow cylindrical side wall 26 may be cut, as at 56, to provide a tongue 58. In this event, the safety cap 14 is turned until the tongue 58 registers with the groove 22. Then the primary and safety caps are locked together by pressing the tongue 58 inwardly, as shown in phantom in FIGURE 7, whereupon the caps 12 and 14 will turn as a unit in response to turning of the safety cap. When released, the tongue 58 springs back to its initial position.

Now referring particularly to FIGURES 4, 7 and 11, the hollow cylindrical side wall 26 and shoulder 34 may be cut, as at 60, to provide a tongue 62 terminating in a radially inwardly extending portion 64. In this event, the tongue 62 is pressed inwardly with the thumb or a finger thereby to lower the terminal portion 64 of the tongue, as shown in phantom in FIGURE 7. Then the safety cap is turned relative to the primary cap until the tongue 62 strikes the side of an abutment 20. Further turning of the safety cap in the same direction results in turning of the primary cap. When released, the tongue 62 springs back to its initial position.

It will be appreciated that any one of the foregoing means to facilitate turning of the primary cap with the safety cap as a unit may be provided alone or in combination with any one or more of the other means.

It will also be appreciated that should a child of tender years attempt to remove a device 10 which is threaded onto the neck of a bottle to close the opening therein, he will simply attempt to pull or turn it off. Pulling will be ineffective because of the threaded connection. Turning will also be ineffective because the safety cap will turn freely without turning the primary cap. A child of tender years is not likely to realize that he must use the means specially provided to facilitate turning of the primary cap in response to turning of the safety cap.

While in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have illustrated and described the best forms of embodiment of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the forms of the device described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims, and that in some cases certain features of my invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a unitary device for capping the opening in the externally threaded neck of a container, the combination comprising (A) a primary cap having a hollow cylindrical side wall threadable upon the neck of such a container, and a cross-axially extending wall closing one end of said side wall and thereby adapted for closing the opening in the neck of said container,

(B) abutment means carried by the cross-axially extending wall of said primary cap,

(C) a safety cap having a hollow cylindrical side wall, and a cross-axially extending wall closing one end of said side wall including a second hollow cylindrical wall joining a central area of said cross-axially extending wall to a peripherally extending shoulder area thereof seated upon said abutment means, said safety cap being mounted upon said primary cap for turning thereabout freely in either direction, and

(D) an integral area of said safety cap forming a tongue extending from said second hollow cylindrical wall radially outwardly across said shoulder area and downwardly along the side wall of said safety cap, said tongue normally being free of said abutment means when said safety cap is turned relative to said primary cap, but being releasably movable inwardly from its normal position for engaging said abutment means when the purpose is to turn said safety cap and thereby turn said primary cap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,359,639 10/ 1944 Hanahan 215--9 3,097,756 7/1963 Dorsey 215--9 3,338,444 8/1967 Velt 215-9 DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner. 

